Dragon's Fire
by LizzeXX
Summary: Arthur/OC - Arthur survived the Battle of Camlann, now the Golden Age of Camelot has arrived, led by its noble king and his Queen, Marayna, Merlin's sister, to be continued by their children. These passages hold the struggles Arthur and his family will face in their quest to see Camelot thrive, and the reminders of the bond between family. Spinoff of my Draconian Prophecies series.


A/N: Hello hello! :) So this is a collection of one-shots that will be based around my OC, Marayna, the sister of Merlin and wife of Arthur, and my Merlin series, the Draconian Prophecies. This will essentially be a series of snapshots in the history of Camelot after the events of TDP. I would recommend reading that series (starting with Sparks) to understand more about Marayna and a few other OCs that I made for Gwaine and Percival, which will appear in this series, along with the children of the main characters (also OCs).

~8~ is a scene break

'_italics_' is telepathic speak between magic-users

As I will be updating 6 spinoffs (5 for my DW stories and this story), this story, for the moment, will be updated once a month on the 30th of every even month (February, April, June, August, October, December). If anyone has suggestions or ideas for things you'd like to see Arthur and co. deal with either in terms of running the kingdom or magical threats or raising their children, just let me know and I'll consider them for chapters :) The updating date for this story may change in a few months, I am potentially going to be adding 2 more spinoffs then ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin...or Arthur would have lived as he does here ;)

Enjoy!

~8~

An Average Day

"William give that back!"

And, just like that, the peaceful afternoon that had settled upon Camelot was, once again, broken by the shrill cry of a young woman as she rushed through the corridors of the castle, the skirts of her light blue dress hiked up, revealing her boots underneath, hardly the proper footwear for such a gown or a girl of such a station, but she hardly cared and no one said a word. No one could say a word especially when the Queen herself was of the habit of wearing boots as well instead of the more heeled shoes of the court. Servants and nobles alike quickly moved to the sides of the hall, already knowing and anticipating what would be heading their way the moment the shout was heard. And, not a moment later, a blur of red and black shot past them all, followed closely by an equally blurry blue and yellow figure.

"William!" the girl cried again, huffing as she ran after the boy, cursing the fact that he got to wear trousers and she was forced to wear dresses.

Her father always chuckled lightly whenever she brought that up, that she wanted to wear the trousers her godmother had made for her, remarking she looked so much like him in her fair skin and golden curls, but was every bit her mother in spirit. She was even more than that, she was her mother's heir as well, the next High Priestess of the Old Religion if things went according to plan and she excelled in her training, which she was determined to do.

"William give it back!"

"You'll have to catch me first Lyn!" the boy ahead of her glanced over his shoulder at her, smirking just like their mother did, before focusing on his running again, his red tunic billowing around him as he ran, his black hair waving in the breeze he was making from his sprint.

He knew he was likely to get in trouble for doing this, for stealing what he had from his sister, but his father had caused ample chaos when he was a lad, and was known for teasing and picking on others in his youth so it wasn't as though he would get in too much trouble. He wouldn't be exiled merely for irritating his sister, no, his father would never go that far to his heir to the throne, his firstborn son. But equally, his parents had realized that confining him to his bedchambers wasn't exactly an easy thing to do either. He was a Dragonlord after all, and he had called Aithusa, one of the dragons, to his window numerous times in order to hop out of the cell that was his bedroom and ride off into the night...giving his parents a heart attack each time he was sure. Never let it be said he lacked his father's desire for adventure and knack for danger.

William ran up the steps to one of the corridors, rushing down the hall, knowing that he'd have the upper hand, Lyn, or Rosaline as she was named (though her brother had had trouble pronouncing her name at first and just called her Lyn, a name that had stuck with her, but HEwas the only one who called her that, much like their mother and uncle had a special name for their mother) had inherited their mother's clumsiness and the gowns she had to wear (as their Aunt Morgana insisted and their Aunt Gwen made) didn't help that. His father was always very vocal and jesting about how the gods had truly bless them that his son didn't have the ability to trip over his own two feet. But then his mother would merely counter that their son was cursed with his father's overly large head. It would only serve to make their father grin back at her and retort that their daughter was cursed with her mother's attitude, which would make their mother flush and say that their daughter was blessed with his beauty. And then his father would grin for a moment before acting mock-offended that he'd been called pretty instead of handsome.

Their parents were weird.

But he had little time to think of that as he finally managed to come to a corner of the corridor, if he could get around it there would be a few halls and passage ways he could race down and Rosaline wouldn't be able to find him for hours! He was nearly there...when suddenly his entire world turned upside down, literally, as he found himself hanging upside down in the air, his one ankle caught, holding his leg straight up. He looked up as his shirt fell down around him, his free hand struggling to move it up and hold it towards his pants so as not to expose his chest, to see his sister smirking as she walked towards him, her eyes just dimming from the golden flash of magic.

she waited till she was right before him, before poking him in the stomach, knowing he was ticklish there, and making him squirm, "Caught you," she smiled, "Now give it back."

"Hmm..." he seemed to consider the demand, "No."

"William!" she nearly whined, reminding him that even though she was a young lady of the court, she was still only 13 and he shouldn't really be stealing things from her being older than that and wiser and more mature...but it was SO much fun to irritate her!

"You cheated," he pointed out, crossing his arms at his stomach, both keeping the item away from her and keeping his shirt up.

"I have yet to begin to cheat," she stuck her nose up, "Or should I leave you like this and go get your stuffed dragon?"

"Lyn don't you dare!" William glared at her, knowing she was referring the stuffed dragon that he'd had since before he could remember. So what if he was 16, he was allowed to keep mementos of his childhood with him.

"Then give it back!" Rosaline nearly stomped her foot.

"What is going on here?" a voice said from the side, down the corridor that William had nearly managed to get around.

The two children turned their heads to see their parents, the King and Queen, Arthur and Marayna, walking down the hall towards them. Their father was in his typical attire for when he was not expected at court or making public appearances, a simple white tunic and dark brown pants, the small beard he'd grown well trimmed, while their mother was in a simple Camelot red gown, her black hair in a loose braid over her shoulder.

"Care to explain yourselves?" their mother asked, crossing her arms to eye them with a raised brow, their father having asked the first question. Arthur found himself fighting to hide a grin as he saw that look on her face, saw how their children bowed their heads at that, as though they'd been naughty and gotten caught. Oh he had lost track of the amount of times she had fixed him or Merlin with that look and made them feel like scolded children. He was just pleased they were actually scolding children now instead of her making him feel like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"William stole my crown," Rosaline pointed at her brother, her blue eyes, the same shade as her mother's, glared at him.

"William?" Marayna turned to her son, her gaze flickering to his hand where the small silver band was held tightly in his hand. It was a simple gift, a little silver band of metal that had small roses and other flowers etched into the sides of it. It wasn't an official crown, she wasn't old enough to be coronated as the Crown Princess just yet, nor was William the Crown Prince, but they were the Prince and Princess and they both did have smaller crowns that signified their status and were more for formal gatherings, "What do we do when we steal things?"

William sighed and thrust his hand out, holding the crown out to his sister to take, the girl doing so with a grin, her grin growing even more when he begrudgingly added, "I'm sorry Lyn."

"Now Rosaline," Arthur turned to their daughter, not about to let her off when she hadn't treated her brother the best either, "What have we told you about using your magic on each other?"

Rosaline winced at that and her eyes flashed, William scrambling as he was unceremoniously dropped from the magic holding him, "Sorry!" Rosaline winced again, "Sorry."

"Thanks Lyn," William rolled his own blue eyes, the same color as his father's, as he got to his feet, brushing off his clothes.

"Didn't mean to drop you like that," she flushed in embarrassment, she had inherited her uncle's need for more focus when using her magic.

"I'll bet," he grumbled.

"Enough of that," Arthur cut in gently, "I believe you are both rather late for your lessons with Morgana, aren't you?"

The two children looked at each other a moment before turning and bolting off down the halls, making their parents laugh as they watched their run turn into a race as they disappeared around a corner. It was truly a blessing that both their children had been gifted with a skill in healing. Knowing the enemies that Camelot could sometimes make, the more healers the better. They weren't natural healers, not like Morgana was, but they were adept enough at it that they could learn some of the more complicated healing spells. Overall their children were rather well rounded in terms of the types of magic that they practiced. Rosaline was more skilled, however, in natural spells, the ones that affected nature and water, helping crops grow and healing the soul, whereas William was more elemental in his abilities, quite daring with fire and the weather.

Arthur smiled, recalling how William had once made it snow for his sister's birthday, even when it wasn't the right temperature outside for snow. For all that their children picked on each other and teased and taunted and argued, they truly did care about each other. In fact, their relationship reminded him more of how his and Morgana's had been growing up than how Merlin and Marayna's had been described. His children would protect and care for each other despite their little disagreements, and he couldn't be happier for that. He looked over at Marayna, seeing her smiling softly, though a hint of something he could only guess was disbelief in her eyes.

"What is it Mara?" he asked, reaching out to gently turn her head to look at him.

"It's nothing, just..." she took a breath and smiled, "In all my wildest dreams, I never thought I would have this. That...that I'd have a husband and children, that...that I'd be living in a realm where magic flourished and yet...here it is."

"Here it is," he nodded, reaching out to tug her closer winding his arms around her waist and just smiling at her, "I never thought I would have this either," he admitted, "A wife I actually loved, that I married for love instead of convenience, and children who are...who are proud of me and love me," she smiled softly at that, knowing that his qualms with Uther had truly left him fearing he would be too harsh a father, that he wouldn't be able to show his children the love he so deeply felt for them from the moment he learned of their existence, "And that I'd have a kingdom that was truly and finally at peace," he leaned in, bopping his nose to hers, "Yet here we are."

"Here we are," she mimicked with a soft laugh.

He grinned, "You know Mara...we've no meetings today, no matters to see to, the children are in lessons..."

"Yes?" she started to smirk, guessing where he was going.

"What say you that the King and Queen seek a small reprieve into the forest for a picnic?"

"I say...I am quite pleased with myself for having succeeded in corrupting you all those years ago," she laughed heartily, "Look at you Artie, wanting to sneak out without fear that your absence will start a war!" she gave a mock scandalized gasp at that, recalling how he'd fought her tooth and nail not to go to the woods once and shirk his duties for fear of disappointing his father and now here he was, trying to talk HER into it.

"Well, if my wife cares to join me," he leaned in, "I can promise quite a lot of corrupting of her as a result."

She merely pressed her lips to his, enjoying the kiss quite a bit when Arthur suddenly pulled away and bolted down the hall with a rather childish, 'Race you!' that could only be where her son got it from.

She rolled her eyes and swiped her hand out, her eyes flashing as she slowly strolled towards where the king was now hanging upside down, much like his son had been.

"You're cheating!" Arthur accused, making her laugh.

"As were you," she pointed out, coming to stand before him, his face equal with hers if upside down, "And now you know where our daughter learned that particular move from."

He rolled his eyes, "Care to set me down?"

"Are you going to play fair?" she challenged.

"With you, Mara? Never," he smiled at her.

She tilted her head, "Well then, be warned Artie, two can play at that game," and with that she stepped closer, gently taking his head in her hands and leaning in to kiss him as he hung upside down.

"Ooh mum!" she turned, hearing a whining from two voices behind her, stepping to the side to see both William and Rosaline grimacing as they peeked around the corner of the hall.

"Must you do that?" William stuck his tongue out at that.

"It's so embarrassing," Rosaline agreed.

Marayna raised her infamous eyebrow of doom and smirked, "Well, if you think this is embarrassing, I could always have your uncle recreate the potion that turned your father into a toddler and let you both run around in your skivvies like you did when you were that old with all your friends around and..."

"No!" both children shouted.

Arthur laughed, crossing his arms as he smiled at them, "Then actually GO to your lessons and I'll keep an eye on your mother for you."

The children sighed but turned and made their way back down the hall.

"So you'll keep an eye on me will you?" Marayna smirked at him, crossing her arms as well.

"I do believe I have yet to take my eyes off you from the moment I met you Mara," he told her, a softness in his voice, a love she could see shining in his eyes.

She grinned softly at that and leaned in, kissing him upside down once more, feeling him smiling back into the kiss, waiting till Arthur had gotten quite into it...before disappearing in a swirl of wind.

Arthur blinked, hovering there for only a moment, before he let out a breath...and fell right to the ground, just as unceremoniously as his son had, though he ended up sprawled on his backside, "Very funny Mara!" he called and, judging from the giggling he could hear down the stairs, she heard him.

Well, two could play at that game...he'd just have to suggest that they have that picnic near the stream and then HE would be the one laughing...

...and then running for his life when his magical, wet wife surfaced from the water...but it would be worth it, it always was when it came to her.

A/N: I can't guarantee any sort of order for this spinoff. It may be disjointed and out of order at times, it's really just whatever comes to me. We may get something like this, with teenage Will/Lyn, and then the next chapter is them as toddlers, and the next them as adults, then Rosaline as a baby, etc. It'll likely be all over the place, but I'll try my best to make it interesting :)

For a reference, two actors/actresses I see as being similar to how I picture William and Rosaline in my head are Skandar Keynes (best known as Edmund Pevensie) and Elle Fanning (mostly from Maleficent ;))


End file.
